Grumpy Cat Dies Aged 7

All good things come to an end, right? And today, this phrase has a sadder tone than ever as the news broke that the Internet's beloved kitty known as Grumpy Cat has passed away. On May 17, the heartbreaking message appeared on the cat's official Twitter account stating that "she passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14 at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha."

Tardar Sauce, who was better known to the world as Grumpy Cat, suffered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that proved to be too severe for the adorable cat to recover from, despite care from top professionals and support from her family.

Born on April 4, 2012, Grumpy Cat was one of a litter of four kittens and had a form of dwarfism that made its face appear permanently grumpy. While the cute cat was otherwise just a normal house kitty, it only took one picture to change her life forever. On September 22, 2012, the owner Tabatha Bundesen's brother posted Tardar Sauce's photo on Reddit where it became a viral sensation and the source of the feline's fame.

The Internet-famous cat became an icon, with "Grumpy Cat" memes rocking the web as people created different iterations with ever-changing phrases and themes. Tardar Sauce appeared on many shows like ABC News' Good Morning America and Anderson Live. This famous cat was the face of advertising campaigns for Friskies and General Mills' Honey Nut Cheerios.

Once the news broke, thousands of people responded with their condolences as well as reactions, art pieces, and, of course, Cat memes. "Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat memes have helped millions of people smile around the world – even when times were tough," Tabatha, Bryan, and Chrystal, the kitten's closest family posted in a statement. "Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere," they concluded.